June 2019 Philadelphia Chapter of Pax Christi U.S.A.
“This is Just Wrong!”
Mike Connor
I have come by my faith with difficulty and through what could be described as difficult circumstances. The process has included many readings, both literature and liturgy, listening to and observing good people, and inner contemplations that have at various times enlightened, encouraged, frustrated and frankly, annoyed me. For me, unfortunately, there has not been a single moment when a spirit or entity has captured my attention and made me an instant believer. Dogma has been a stumbling block; particularly when viewed thru the idealistic prism of a young adult where hypocrisy seemed to be so visible. That stumbling block, at times, left me outside organized religion looking in with skepticism.
In the process of navigating things, I was forced to make some decisions. One of the tenets that had been instilled in me both my Mother, and my early, carefree days of Catholic teachings was to do the right thing. So, when faced with some of life’s decisions, I tried to fall back on “doing the right thing”. As friends and family can testify, I have stumbled frequently. But during the process, I could acknowledge when I had made a wrong decision, as I believe most of us can. I do think there is an internal moral compass which most of us possess. We can almost sense when something is wrong; which brings me to the title of the article. The following three examples are symptomatic of our current culture of things that are “just wrong”. By the way, it was difficult to narrow the process to three examples.
Joshua Harris, owner of the non-profit entity the Philadelphia 76ers, after several meetings with Jared Kushner reportedly had his management firm, Apollo Global Management lend Kushner Industries $184 million. Kushner had been leading the push to nominate Harris to lead the Office of Management and Budget. The loan was solidified prior to President Trump announcing the 25% steel tariffs. Apollo has financial interests in steel companies. Both Harris and Kushner deny they ever discussed the position at the OMB, or the loan between their two companies.
The current war in Yemen has resulted in the starvation of over 85,000 children. The Yemen people have been subjected to a brutal attack at the hands of the Saudis. Previous to this war, Yemen had a stable economy and starvation was not an issue. The Saudi’s military equipment has been supplied by the United States, which is world’s largest supplier of military equipment.
“In the last two decades the remains of 7,000 people have been recovered in the United States
borderland.”i An article on Death in the Desert in the June, 2019 issue of Sojourners goes on to detail how the US Border patrol made a focused policy decision to funnel immigrants into the desert area. The stated goal was to “weaponize the landscape”. Border agents search and destroy any water containers left by relief organizations for the migrants. The number of actual deaths during this time frame is conservatively estimated at double the 7,000.
The first example highlights the current Administration’s use of the pay to play system at every available opportunity. Whether its firing the head of the Veteran’s Administration for failing to privatize the agency sufficiently quickly, or goading a corporation to supply additional campaign donations, the Administration makes no bones of its goal of enriching the Trump empire. The example additionally represents the sometimes subtle at other times blatant misrepresentation of the truth by both the Trump administration and the entrenched wealthy,
ruling class in America. You could place Bill O’Reilly, the self-proclaimed spokesperson for “the middle class”, in the blatant category.
The last two examples demonstrate the degree to which our government and its agencies have devalued individual life. From our immoral prison industry to the water catastrophe in Flint, Michigan, government agencies have far too often moved away from serving the needs of the common person to fulfilling the corporate need for profit at any cost.
In the process of writing this article, I have imagined producing and giving out tee-shirts with the logo “This is Just Wrong!” or marching around the White House every Monday carrying a sign with a comparable thought. I am left with something similar to survivor’s guilt wondering to what degree I am complicit with my government’s actions. Amid all of this, I do believe that we humans are hard wired for compassion but too often limit the scope of our vision when extending that compassion. Over the winter I read several books on Native American myths and spiritual beliefs. The following quote of Ponca Wisdom is similar to many of the world’s religions’ sentiments. “Rather than dwell on what should be done, do what can be done, you might just accomplish what should be done.”
As I offer up my daily prayer and too infrequent volunteer efforts, I attempt to do the right thing as often as possible. I find work as prayer is effective as a balm for my shortcomings. Short on advice I will finish with this quote from one of my favorite poets and authors. Peace.
“I take literally the statement in the Gospel of John that God loves the world. I believe that the world was created and approved by love, that it subsists, coheres, and endures by love, and that, insofar as it is redeemable, it can be redeemed only by love. I believe that divine love, incarnate and indwelling in the world, summons the world always toward wholeness, which ultimately is reconciliation and atonement with God.” ― Wendell Berry
Mike Connor is a member of Bainbridge House
i Coalicion de Derechos and No More Deaths
